Genetics? No, Just Hard Work.

In honor of Transformation Tuesday, I'd thought I'd share what happened yesterday during my UFX Burn class.

It is a small group and all of us early gym goers are friendly with one another. I am usually the youngest in the class so I guess I am the one to be teased, I don't mind I know they mean no harm and in a way it's kind of flattering.

One woman stated how in her next life she'd like to come back in my body. They continued to make comments about my physique which, again was very flattering. It wasn't until one person stated "It must be a genetic thing right?" To which I replied "No, it is just called hard work." 

Although there are days where I feel "fat" (like most people that have bad days), I would like to think I am pretty fit, and I take pride in physically and sometimes grueling activities. I didn't just "get" a fit body. I work hard for it. I wake up at 5am and work through the highs and lows to make it happen. No one forces me to do it, I do it because I want the benefits. I fit my workouts in and make them the most effective. 

I wasn't always as fit I as am now. I have gotten slimmer within the past 3 years as I really started paying attention to what I put into my body and changing up my workouts.

After saying that it was hard work, one woman said "good for you!" Which made me feel really good. Especially because the majority of people do not understand just how hard I really try especially having T1D. If I can do it, you can do it... You just have to WANT to do it. 

Other than that this was my post workout  burn:

Not bad for a Monday morning! 

Get Comfortable with Being Uncomfortable

Happy Friday! One week until ....

 

So I thought it would be appropriate to do a workout related post.

 

Since Sunday's BBQ I have really been stepping it up and trying to add in some different techniques to maximize my workouts. For my birthday I received a Polar heart rate monitor watch. It has been helpful to wear to see how different exercises play with my heart rate. It is cool to see it jump when I push myself just a little bit harder.

 

Sunday started by running 4 miles then a crazy leg workout that had me SOAKED. On Monday and Wednesday of this week I went to my usual spin classes. Afterward I did an extra 20 minutes on the treadmill and abs. Also both days I did a minute of bosu ball burpees. INSANE!! I love burpees and hate them at the same time. I read that they boost your metabolism the remainder of the day so in the end they are worth it. I love this meme that my friend Ashley shared with me last summer.

 

 

:)

 

Thursday was my double class day. Angela teaches great classes! The first is a step/kickboxing/weight class.  I was loving the 70's themed music.

 

The second is a standard weight training class. I love that one because it gives me ideas on how to weight train on my own. Many people (women especially) "fear" weight training because they think they will get bulky/manly looking, but that is not true! It is so important and actually burns more calories the rest of the day than running for 30 mins straight.

 

By 12pm on Thursdays after 2 solid hours I am ready for a nap!

 

Today was spent doing treadmill intervals, abs and yoga. Also before heading to yoga I tried a new machine. The stair master...

 

It was nice to switch it up and I also got a whole other view of the gym from being up so high.

 

I look forward to really pushing it this next week. Another tip that has been motivating me is the idea of visualization. For me it has been walking the beaches of Aruba. During runs I imagine myself crossing the finish line of a race. My favorite expression is being "uncomfortably comfortable." In other words, giving myself that extra push. Getting out of my comfort zone, but not killing myself at the gym. I know I cant run 10 miles straight at this point and trying to do that straight right now would be dumb and unsafe. Instead I will tell myself to pick up the pace for the next 5 minutes, go for 3 extra reps, etc. Realistic pushes that get me out of my comfort zone.

 

I hope this motivated you to get to the gym! :) 

A snap of my healthy dinner from last night. Salmon, sweet potato and carrots. 

 

 

Sayonara Sausage

This holiday weekend always calls for a lot of BBQ food. Hamburgers, hot dogs, potato salad, etc. Although I LOVE everything on the above list and then some, I have been making sure to step it up in the gym. Here is a recap of my workouts to help me say Sayonara to all of that BBQ.

Thursday (July 4th): Usually I take two classes on Thursdays as mentioned here, but I decided to just do the first class as I felt like I had no energy after it. This class is called Step Interval and using the step on one set of risers we do a non-stop hour of cardio. Step, kick-boxing and weights...my favorite are the plyometric jumps! (Thank you skating). I like this class not only because of the instructor, but because it sends your heart rate up, down and all around. Perfect for blasting away calories.

After class I did about 10 minutes of core work followed by some stretching.

Friday (July 5th): With all of the fun mentioned in my July 4th post I know I needed to get to the gym on Friday. I did a 30 minute treadmill interval workout followed by a circuit drill I found off of pinterest. 

*Note- I only ran through this circuit once. 

I do not use pinterest a lot, but there are some great workouts on there! I love resorting to them when I am getting a little bored with my usual workouts. I could tell it was working because I was DRIPPING. So much that there was a puddle around me (oops). Don't worry I cleaned it up! :D  I am naturally a sweater, but I can tell the difference when I mix up my workouts.

After, I went to yoga. Every Friday I try to make it to the Yoga class offered at my gym. I like this particular class because of the stretching and it is more of a fitness style yoga rather than a spiritual one. I just can't take myself seriously in the "I'm floating on a cloud" style yoga.

Saturday (July 6th): Time for some Spinning!! My gym rearranged some of the classes for the holiday weekend, so there was only 1 spin class to attend. Such a bummer. However, the instructor Joanne did a great "Super Spin" and made it an hour class instead of 45mins. Great music and a challenging ride! There was even a hill to MJ's "The Way You Make Me Feel." Reminded me of Erin's class from last Monday!

Sunday (July 7th): I was thinking about taking off, but I was feeling too motivated and after celebrating my brothers birthday the night before I knew it was the right thing. I had a glass of wine AND dessert. So unlike me.

My goal of the workout was weight training. Beforehand I did 25 minutes of intervals on the treadmill. 5 min warm up jog, 2mins of walking on an incline of 14 and 3.8mph, 2mins of sprinting at 8.5. Cool down was walking for about 3mins.

I worked abs, legs then arms.
Abs: I am so random with abs. Let's just say I do a lot of different forms of crunches and moves to target all parts of the core.

Legs: 15 squats (15lb weights in each hand)
          15 Lunges (each leg- 15lb weights in each hand overhead)
          20 Sumo Squats (holding 15lb weight at chest)
          Repeat 3x.

Arms: 12 forward arm extension (knuckles facing out) 10lbs each hand
           12 side extensions - 10lbs each hand
           12 bicep curls - 10lbs each hand
           Repeat 3x.
Ended with a good stretch and I called it a day.

Just Keep Spinning

Yes spinning, not SWIMMING.

 

Yesterday was a big day for me. My Spin Instructor Orientation! What a LONG day mentally and physically. The day ran from 8am-6pm and included 2 rides and classroom lectures where we went over different parts of the official Spinning manual. 

Taught by Master Trainer, MaryJo all twenty of us learned a lot of great tips for teaching a spinning class and MaryJo also had a great sense of humor to keep us all laughing throughout the day!

My main concern was of course making it through the day without any blood sugar problems. I have gotten through many spin classes without any issues, but when you are thrown into a different setting and different time of the day when a workout takes place, these things can all factor in and become a big hassle. I am happy to say I had no issues! Actually, my blood sugars were just where I wanted them to be the whole day. Not too high or too low and I made it through both rides.

The day started off on the low side with a reading of 68. Since I didn't know when exactly the rides would be taking place I had my usual eggs and toast breakfast without covering. I figured I can always take some insulin if I saw I was shooting up too high and would not be able to remove insulin once injected. This decision worked out perfectly! The first ride wasn't until 12pm and lasted until a little after 1pm. Beforehand I was 183 and knew since I had no short acting insulin in me I would make it through the ride. Thank God because OF COURSE just as we were about to begin, my sensor wasn't calibrating. :( I told myself "Just keep spinning."

By the time lunch rolled around I was STARVING!! We were given about 45mins break so I went right to the locker room, tested (165), recalibrated my sensor and had lunch. I usually like my apple with pb after a workout, but it was just not happening in a gym locker room so I stuck with my other staple... turkey and cheese on wrap. I loved opening up my lunch bag to find this note from Mom:

 

This is where I met Leah. She had noticed my sensor and asked if it was something for Diabetes. At first I am always a little hesitant because many misunderstand type 1 for type 2, but Leah knew about type 1. A coworker of her has a daughter with type 1 and also on the Dexcom sensor. We chatted for a little and it was really comforting speaking to someone who could understand my concerns of the day. She even said she added my blog to her reading list! (Hi Leah!!) :)

After lunch it was back to class from 2-5 to learn all about hear rate training, creating spin profiles and music. A lot of information!

**Note: No bar time which was extremely difficult, but I made up for it later. We will get to that**

Then it was time for the second ride, the last part of the day and definitely the hardest. Before I tested and was 183 so I decided to have an Extend Protein Bar. These are really good for maintaining blood sugars during strenuous workouts. So glad I had one because I would not have made it through without. This ride was about 35-40 mins and it was a sample of all of the different types of rides we learned about. Endurance, Strength, Interval and Race Day. MaryJo was a great instructor and so motivating! I was sweating like no other. After the first loop the class decided to go for another round (I had mixed feeling towards this lol), but I told myself this is it, I can do it, after I am done! It is really important to have mental toughness. Just keep spinning ... just keep spinning...

When we finished it was the greatest feeling. We all cheered and it was a great feeling not only as a group effort, but for me personally. Receiving my certificate of completion reminded me that I can accomplish what I put my mind to. It may take more planning and worry, but it CAN be done. A year ago I would have never pushed myself out of my comfort zone like I have been doing, but each time I get through another obstacle I am that much more motivated. 

Before driving home I made sure to test and I was 114. PERFECTTTT :) When I got in the car I literally cried because of all of the adrenaline, emotion and feeling of accomplishment. (And because I was STARVING yet again..plus no bar time). That was soon fixed after getting home and having a great BBQ dinner! Steak, ribs, salads..not the healthiest, but it was Saturday after all and my eating all day was pretty limited. I helped mom finish her steak too. :)

The day ended with a trip to Starbucks for my iced coffee and my bar for dessert. :) It was a perfect ending to a rewarding day. Bar time and also one of my favorite movies, New Year's Eve was on.

 

If you haven't seen I HIGHLY recommend, no matter what time of the year it is.

 

 

My message for all of you is to step out of your comfort zone! I am so glad I chose to do this. I have always wanted to do something fitness related so I thought it was the perfect opportunity. I hope I make a good spin instructor and can motivate people the way I have been motivated by my own spin instructors.